Words of the Day – 1st Semester Unit 4
1) Word: curtail (v.)
Synonym(s): cut, decrease, diminish
Etymology: From curtal, meaning "a horse
with its tail cut short."
2) Word: travesty (n.)
Synonym(s): mockery, joke, parody
Etymology: French travestir ("to dress up in
someone else's clothing"). Today the word
retains the metaphorical sense of dressing
up or presenting something ridiculously.
Words of the Day – 1st Semester Unit 4
3) Word: scruple (n.)
Synonym(s): conscience, principle, misgiving
Etymology: Latin scrupulus ("a small, sharp stone that
gets caught in one's sandal"). Just as a Roman's sole
was made uneasy by sharp stones, his soul was made
uneasy by the sharp irritation of conscience.
4) Word: havoc (n.)
Synonym(s): ruin, damage, devastation
Etymology: In the Middle Ages, "Havoc!" was a war cry
signaling a victorious army to loot, rape, and pillage in
a conquered town.
Words of the Day – 1st Semester Unit 4
5) Word: mentor (n.)
Synonym(s): instructor, guide, preceptor, guru
Etymology: Odysseus's friend was put in charge of
his home when he left. Since then, his name has
become synonymous with wise and protective
guardianship.
6) Word: haggard (adj.)
Synonym(s): careworn, weary, fatigued, gaunt
Etymology: An archaic English term meaning "a wild
hawk captured which had already grown its
mature feathers." These birds often have a wild
and hungry appearance.
Words of the Day – 1st Semester Unit 4
7) Word: utopian (adj.)
Synonym(s): idealistic, impractical, quixotic
Etymology: Thomas Moore's book, Utopia, described
an ideal place. Any plan for a perfect society
might be characterized as utopian. Latin utopia
("no place").
8) Word: mercurial (adj.)
Synonym(s): unstable, impulsive, erratic
Etymology: The chemical element Mercury is the
only metal that is liquid at room temperature.
Thus moody, temperamental people might be
mercurial.
Words of the Day – 1st Semester Unit 4
9) Word: diffident (adj.)
Synonym(s): shy, insecure, timorous
Etymology: From the Latin words dis ("not") and
fidere ("trust"). In this sense, the word means not
having confidence in oneself.
10) Word: hypocrisy (n.)
Synonym(s): deceptiveness, dishonesty, insincerity
Etymology: From the Greek word for actor,
hypocrites. Thus the word has come to mean a
person who pretends to be someone he or she is
not.
Words of the Day – 1st Semester Unit 4
11) Word: zealous (adj.)
Synonym(s): enthusiastic, passionate, intense,
ardent
Etymology: From the Greek word zelos, meaning
"intense and passionate devotion or enthusiasm."
During the first century A.D., a group of Jews
called Zealots actively opposed the Roman empire.
12) Word: candid (adj.)
Synonym(s): sincere, direct, outspoken, uninhibited
Etymology: Latin candidus ("shining white"). It also
referred to spotlessness and purity with regard to
a person's character.
Words of the Day – 1st Semester Unit 4
13) Word: posthumous (adj.)
Synonym(s): after-death, post-mortem
Etymology: Latin postumus ("very last"). Since an
after death occurrence is one that is the very last,
postumus came to mean "after death."
14) Word: enthrall (v.)
Synonym(s): spellbind, thrill, enchant, captivate
Etymology: Originally, thrall meant slave in English.
To enthrall a person was to make that person a
slave.
Words of the Day – 1st Semester Unit 4
15) Word: chagrin (n.)
Synonym(s): shame, embarrassment, mortification
Etymology: From the French word chagrin
("distressed"). To be chagrined is to be irritated about
something to the point that a person feels deeply
saddened or disappointed.
16) Word: parasite (n.)
Synonym(s): freeloader, deadbeat, sycophant
Etymology: Greek para ("beside") + sitos ("food"). The
original meaning was one who ate at the table of
another or one who would flatter his host to be
invited back for a free meal.
Parasites: Dust mites such as these (magnified 370 times) live on people’s
skin and in the fabric of the average home. They feed on the dead scales of
human skin, and their bodies and excrement can cause allergic reactions.
Words of the Day – 1st Semester Unit 4
17) Word: cant (n.)
Synonym(s): insincerity, phoniness, empty talk, slang
Etymology: From the Latin cantus ("song"). This refers
to the repetitive songs medieval cantors used to sing
during prayers. Today the word is associated with an
insincere or hypocritical speech—especially about
ideals.
18) Word: ephemeral (adj.)
Synonym(s): momentary, brief, temporary, transitory
Etymology: From the Greek epi ("upon") and herma
("day"). Hence the word refers to something that lasts
only one day or passes quickly.
Words of the Day – 1st Semester Unit 4
19) Word: dexterous (adj.)
Synonym(s): skilled, nimble, adroit, efficient
Etymology: Latin dexter ("right" or "righthand").
20) Word: sinister (adj.)
Synonym(s): menacing, villainous, malevolent
Etymology: Latin sinister ("left" or "left-hand
side").